Editorial in Pakistan Today, Nov 10, 2020
Yesterday, after a detention of eight months, Editor Jung/Geo group Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman was released on bail by the Supreme Court following a rejection of his plea by the Lahore High Court earlier. The charges against him have been framed by NAB and are related to purchase of a property “illegally” 34 years ago when Mian Nawaz Sharif was Chief Minister of Punjab. If the SC proceedings are anything to go by, where NAB’s lawyer admitted that the transaction in question had not resulted in any loss to the exchequer, the accountability watchdog’s case was weak and did not merit a pretrial arrest. In this light, it becomes increasingly difficult, especially for journalists, not to draw the conclusion that the arrest was related to critical reporting of the government by Mr. Rehman’s media group.
Over the past two years, a culture of self-censorship has developed within the media that is fuelled by the threat of curtailment in advertisement if a certain editorial line is not followed. Increasing incidents of temporary detainment of reporters by ‘unknown persons’ is another source of fear that restricts journalists from pursuing certain stories. There have been instances where pre-recorded interviews of opposition leaders have been abruptly taken off air within few minutes of them being broadcasted. Attempts to exert similar control over social media have failed miserably as well, rather embarrassingly for a government that on one hand heavily marketed the idea of ‘digital Pakistan’ while on the other introduced policy that would force major social media companies to share user data with the state as and when required. The government has gone so far as to say that certain media coverage critical of the state can be considered treasonous if it ‘unintentionally propagates the enemy’s stance’. Whenever Prime Minister Imran Khan is questioned about a media crackdown under his government, he insists that Pakistan has one of the freest presses in the world, which is not only a completely unsubstantiated statement but outright ludicrous considering how rapidly the space for dissent and critical reporting has shrunk since the PTI came to power. https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/09/press-freedom-under-the-pti/
Press freedom under the PTI :Censorship, intimidation and arrests
Editorial in Pakistan Today, Nov 10, 2020
Yesterday, after a detention of eight months, Editor Jung/Geo group Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman was released on bail by the Supreme Court following a rejection of his plea by the Lahore High Court earlier. The charges against him have been framed by NAB and are related to purchase of a property “illegally” 34 years ago when Mian Nawaz Sharif was Chief Minister of Punjab. If the SC proceedings are anything to go by, where NAB’s lawyer admitted that the transaction in question had not resulted in any loss to the exchequer, the accountability watchdog’s case was weak and did not merit a pretrial arrest. In this light, it becomes increasingly difficult, especially for journalists, not to draw the conclusion that the arrest was related to critical reporting of the government by Mr. Rehman’s media group.
Over the past two years, a culture of self-censorship has developed within the media that is fuelled by the threat of curtailment in advertisement if a certain editorial line is not followed. Increasing incidents of temporary detainment of reporters by ‘unknown persons’ is another source of fear that restricts journalists from pursuing certain stories. There have been instances where pre-recorded interviews of opposition leaders have been abruptly taken off air within few minutes of them being broadcasted. Attempts to exert similar control over social media have failed miserably as well, rather embarrassingly for a government that on one hand heavily marketed the idea of ‘digital Pakistan’ while on the other introduced policy that would force major social media companies to share user data with the state as and when required. The government has gone so far as to say that certain media coverage critical of the state can be considered treasonous if it ‘unintentionally propagates the enemy’s stance’. Whenever Prime Minister Imran Khan is questioned about a media crackdown under his government, he insists that Pakistan has one of the freest presses in the world, which is not only a completely unsubstantiated statement but outright ludicrous considering how rapidly the space for dissent and critical reporting has shrunk since the PTI came to power. https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/09/press-freedom-under-the-pti/
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan